Alexander watson



(No Model.)

A. WATSON.

BRAKE POR RAILWAYS.

No. 409,536. Patented Aug. 20, 1889.

Imennr.

XML. d 91919:

Wiine55e5: T l 5.

N. PETERs mxumngmpbgnzwmingmn luc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER WATSON, OF` SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BRAKE FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 409,536, dated August 20, 1.889.

Application filed April l0, 1889.

semi No. 306,727. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ALEXANDER WATSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the cit-y and county of San Fran.- cisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inv Brakes for RailWay-Cars, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a powerful rapidly-acting brake for cablerailway cars, particularly for use on roads where there are steep grades; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of parts and mechanism, as hereinafter fully explained, producinga brake that combincs in itself a wheel-brake for ordinary oc` casions, a track-brake-for use where greater power is called for, and a wedge-brake operating both on the wheels and the track through the inertia of the car to block the wheels. Either of these special features and characteristics of the device is brought into action in a rapid manner, as circumstances or emergencies require, by means of suitable mechanism. In connection with the parts forming this brake a novel style of truckframe for the grip-car or dummyis provided.

Thcnature of these improvements and the manner in which I proceed to construct and apply them to produce my invention are explained in the following description, wherein the accompanying drawings are referred to by figures and letters. In these drawings is shown a truck-frame for a grip-car, in which the wheels are mounted in boxes without springs to avoid vertical play of the frame, as such movement would interfere with the cfiiciency of the blocks that act like wedges under the wheels, and instead of being placed at the axle-boxes the springs are interposed between the platform or body and the truckframe.

No parts of the grip-car above the truckframe are illustrated, nor is the gripping apparatus shown, for the reason that the same form no part of my present invention and are already familiar in construction and operation to persons skilled in building and running cable roads, and becauseV my improvements can be combined with any style of platform or body.,

The tru ck-frame and the parts of the brakes and mechanism to operate them on both sides at the same time are represented in the drawings in such form as will be clearly un- ,derstood by the practical mechanic.

E Figure l shows in elevation one side of a `single truck having two axles, between the wheels of which my improved brakes are placed. Fig.2 is a one-half plan of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents the position of the parts when the brakeis thrown into action to block the rear wheels. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken vertically through the parts at the line mx, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a section through the box or supportingsocket of the screwshaft.

The figures show the parts onlyon one side of the truck-frame; but it will be understood that the construction is the same on the opposite side, and that the brake-blocks are therefore applied to both sets .of wheels. The description of the parts on one side therefore answers for those on the opposite side as well.

A Aare two bars pivotcd at Z) Z2 to thc sides of the truck-frame betweenit and the wheels, and from these points of attachment extending in substantially a horizontal direction toward one and the same end of the frame, where they are connected together by a crossbar C. In the middle of this cross-bar is a nut or threaded socket CX, to take the screwthreaded end of an upright shaft.

D is a screw-shaft, by means of which the frame A A C is moved up and down to work the brakes. It has a hand-wheel D) on the top for turning it, and it is supported on the frame by the box or socket E, as shown in Figs. l and 5 of the drawings.

To each bar A is bolted a brake-'block G, having suitably-curved faces g g, to act against the rims of the wheels, the block being set between the two wheels on the same side of the frame and in such position that the upward movement of the bar A brings the brake shoes or surfaces g g at opposite ends against the two wheels simultaneously. A short turn of the screw-shaft serves to throw these wheelbrakes into or out' of action.

H II are blocks with curved and inclined` faces on the opposite ends and flat bottoms h, with which the curved faces form acute angles, so that the opposite ends of the block are wedge-shaped. These blocks arejoined IOO to the blocks G by means of a dovetail groove m in the one and a tongue or rib a, of corresponding shape and size, on the edge of the 3o vare locked to the wheel-brakes other, this mode of attaching one block to the other being employed for the pu-rpose of allowing the block H to slide longitudinally, but

at the same time be firmly and stift-ly attached to the block G, to the bottom of which it is thus secured. The bottom face h of the block H forms a track-brake, and in most cases is provided with a shoe, of wood or rubber I, to receive the principal part of the wear and to 1o increase friction upon the rail. The block is sufficiently deep to set close to the rail and to come in contact with it on the downward movement of the brake-frame. In addition to this feature the block H under each wheelbrake G is made to serve as a wedge-brake between the rear wheel and the track on eX- traordinary occasions where greater power to stop the caris demanded, for which purpose the bottom block is left free to slide uponfthe 2o 'block G, and when dropped down upon t-he rail is caused to jam in between the thread ofthe rear wheel and the rail. This action "isproduced by the friction between -therail and thebottom face of the block in conj unc- 2'5 tion'with the inertia of the car at such time "when the wedge-shaped end of 'the block-becomes drawn under and is pressed against the wheel `with great force. Except when brought-into play these wedge-shaped blocks and are carried up and down with them to serve as trackbrakes without independent movement', and to hold them from slidinglongitudinally some suitable locking device is applied-thatv can be 3 5 operated from the platform of the car-torelease the two blocks when'they are to'be used as wedges. For' this purpose I employr a' rotary belt or cam iiXed onr a short shaft that extends through the 4blockl G to the out- 4o side, where connection is made with a'lever for turning it. This construction will be understood from Figs. l, 3, and 4. The 'shaft p is capable ofv turningy in the block G, and-carries a circularbolt R,gthat is set within a recess of corresponding form intersecting the dovetail groove, and has a straight cut-away portion R. v A lever PX is fixed to the outer end 4of the shaft p, and connection of this part is kmade with a hand-lever S on the track by a 5o connecting-rod P. By partially rotating the lbolt Rit-can be set across the groove m, or its flat'po'rtion can be brought in line with the bottom of the groove. A notch nx is madein the top of thedovetail n, into which the bolt is set when brought into the first-mentioned position across vthe groove, so that no longitudinal movement of the block H can take place until the bolt is turnedv out of the notch. ITo use the brakes as wedges,it is necessary 6o to loosen the blocks H H, so that they will -have free movement longitudinally, and at the same time to drop them down in contact with the track, that the ends nearest the rear wheels may be crowded between the wheels and they rails by thel :movement of the car. At such time, then, the bolts R are turned to release the blocks, and the outer end of the brake-frame is dropped to bring the blocks down on the rails by one movement of the lever S. The bolts of the two brake-blocks are connected with the lever to be moved simultaneously, and a slotted plate T on the truckframe, that is arranged to hold up the screwshaft,is also connected with the lever S by the rod TX.- This plate embraces the shaft just above the bearing E and fits in a groove V, turned in the shaft. It is held in guide-slots t t, and when drawn back will clear the shaft and allow it to drop perpendicularly; or, being set on the screw-shaft, the slide-plate holds it up in position to move the brake-frame in the ordinary way for using the wheel-brakes. By connecting the slide in this manner with the lever S, a single lmovement will instantly throw the wedges H H into position to act.

In an emergency-as when a grip breaks or parts from the propelling-cablethe essence of safety lies 'in the rapidity withwhich rthe brakes can be applied before the car' can attain anyv velocity, and by arranging these wedge-brakes for instantaneous operation, as above described, I 'provide' powerful and effeo-tivev means of checking the movement 'of 'the car. yThe power of l these brakes willl increasewith the' steepness of the incline on which the car is traveling at the vtime of the accident.

' Having thus 'fullydescribed my invention7 what I claim,` and desire to securef'by Lett-ers Patent,is-

l. 'The herein-described car-brake, consist- -ing of the'A frame vA A O,`the 'brake-blocks AG G, with faces g g toengage the rims of the wheels, the blocksH Hfa'ttaclred to said Vbr'akeblocks in such manner that they are capable of sliding independently'in a longitudinalv direction, a locking mechanism 'by which 'these two blocksY are' securedtogether, `having connection with an operatinglev'er on the car,A and' mechanism whereby the said frame is raised'and lowered to operate'said :sets of brake-blocks, as set forth.

2. 'InV- a car-brake", a wheel brake-block G, adapted for operation between two whe-els on the same side'of a truck to' engage the rims of'- the wheels when vmoved upward, a' traick brake shoe orvblock- H, connected `to said 'wheel-brake byy a groove and dovetail=- rib,

and-locking mechanism adapted'to hold said block H, substantially as described,- and to be operated from the car to release'it for a'ction, asset forth.

3. In combination with the wheehbrake- "blocks G G, the pivoted frame A Ay C, the

screw-shaft D, supported on bearings on 'the car-track', and' the holding-plate E; arranged Y for operation as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing; I have hereunto set my hand vand seal.

ALEXANDER VATSON. t [L.

Witnesses:

' CHAs. E. KELLY,

Jos. E. FORD.

IOO

IIO 

